Letters to the Editor

December 12, 2007

Children tell how they would make someone's Christmas a merrier one

How this got started

(Editor's note: On Nov. 21, Editorial Page Editor Bob Maginnis wrote a column about how one resident of Washington County had been touched by an anonymous donor's gifts of money and copies of "Daily Readings from 'Your Best Life Now'" by Joel Osteen, pastor of a large church in Houston, Texas.

The man could never afford to do anything like that himself, but after he died, his widow decided to do something similar in his honor. She purchased 50 Wal-Mart gift cards for $25 apiece and asked The Herald-Mail to solicit letters from children.

The children were asked to describe, in 25 words or less, how they would use the gift card "to do something nice for someone this Christmas."

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What follows are their letters. Not all children signed their last names, so we're identifying all children by first names only. Thanks to our donor and to our "Better Christmas" donor for inspiring someone else to do good works.)

· I would buy fuel oil for heat for a poor lady I know.

SalemMercersburg, Pa.

· Every year I save money in my piggy bank to give to the Salvation Army. This card will help me get more things.

HannahHagerstown

· I would use the card for the Salvation Army and buy toys for kids.

AbbyHagerstown

· I would give the money to St. Jude's Hospital, so sick kids can get better and go home and have Christmas with their family.

HannahHagerstown

· This is my Meme's first Christmas without my Poppop. He died this year. I would like to buy her a special gift.

SarahHagerstown

· I would buy a person cooking supplies and I would buy enough food to make a few meals and they could keep the supplies and the extra food.

MitchellHagerstown

· I don't care about the money. They could keep the money and pay for their supplies and heat and keep it.

NathanHagerstown

· With $25, I'd buy baked goods and have a bake sale to raise more money so I could give homeless people more food and essentials.

KacieMercersburg, Pa.

· If I were given the money, I would use it to buy two Bibles for my friends, Elizabeth and Bailey, so they can become Christians.

HannahChambersburg, Pa.

· I would buy my teacher a nice plant. As the plant grows, it will remind him of how we are growing too.

ErnstHagerstown

· I would buy my baby sister some popcorn, candy and a movie.

BryceHagerstown

· If I had $25 I would buy food and go to a homeless shelter.

JuneFairplay

· If I had the gift card, I would use it to give my mom's special needs child she works with a Christmas gift.

KatieHagerstown

· If I won the gift card, I'd use it to buy toys. The toys aren't for me; they're for the Christmas family we're adopting.

CourtneyBoonsboro

· Last year my granny died and I would buy luminaries so I can light a candle for my granny. Also I would buy flowers for her.

Kristen Hancock

· If I were chosen to give a gift this Christmas I would give the gift to a child in need. The child I'd choose would be from a Christmas tree at St. Ann's Parish. You choose a name and purchase what items they want. My second idea was just giving the gift card to my friends. My third idea was buying items and just giving them away.

MorganHagerstown

· If I were chosen to get the Wal-Mart $25 gift card I would buy gifts for a family I know. Or I would cash the gift card and put it in the St. Mary Catholic School's poor box.

DrewHagerstown

· I would spend the gift card on the present for a person at my church. I would probably give them a shirt, maybe a blanket and at least one toy or board game. Maybe even a good book.

ElizabethHagerstown

· I saw your article in the paper. If I had $25, I would buy toys for children in hospitals. It is probably extremely boring for them and they can't be home for Christmas. I hope it would make their day.

EmilyHagerstown

· If I had $25 from Wal-Mart, I would cash the gift card in and then I would put it in the poor box at St. Mary's parish.

PatrickHagerstown

· I would buy this person toys, food and clothes, if they did not have anything. I could help people do things if they couldn't do it. I would like to help people and buy them something they don't have.

JenniferHagerstown

· If I had a $25 gift card from Wal-Mart, I would give it to the homeless or to the Salvation Army. That's what I would do if I had a $25 gift card from Wal-Mart.

JamesHagerstown

· I could go to Wal-Mart and cash in the gift card. I would then take the money to my church and put the money in the poor box.

EllenHagerstown

· If I were chosen to receive the Wal-Mart gift card I would go to the Salvation Army, ask for a name of a family and buy what they wanted. I would love to do this.

AnthonyHagerstown

· I would buy some shoes for the homeless. Then I would buy their children, if they have any, some clothes to keep them warm. I would then say to them "Have a Merry Christmas."

AshleyHagerstown

· I would spend the card on some clothing and a chicken. The clothing would keep people warm. The chicken would keep people warm.